He Lost
by JustOneDayMore
Summary: They really did need each other. Rin fell apart without Haru, and Haru fell apart without Rin. If tonight wasn't a testament to that, he didn't know what was. RinHaru Initial angst, chapters 5 and on are fluffy goodness.
1. Goodbye

Damn you episode 7, causing me to write depressing and angsty things.

This is short, but there might be a part two. I'm not sure yet.

Warning: character suicide. Haruka... ;;_;;

* * *

Rin won. "Good for him. I should find him tomorrow and congratulate him. Do something nice." Haruka mumbled to himself as he stepped into his small but comfortable home. He dropped his bag with a thud, kicked off his sneakers, and shrugged off his jacket, heading toward the bathroom.

His shirt and sweatpants came off in the hallway, his swimsuit still on from his race earlier that day. Haruka entered the bathroom and stared at the tub he had spent countless hours in. All he wanted was to be immersed in water, to be calmed by it, yet… at the same time, the thought made him sick.

Today, he had lost. Today, water had betrayed him. No. That wasn't right. He _was_ betrayed, but not by water. Glancing at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he saw nothing, and kept walking toward the tub.

Haruka leaned over and turned the water on, ice cold droplets splashing onto his skin. He stepped in, and the freezing water sent a harsh shock through his body. It felt good. He leaned back until his head was resting against the edge of the tub. His body was already responding to the cold water, and he began to shiver.

Haruka sunk lower into the water, ignoring his body's tremors, his nose and eyes the only things above the surface. He felt abandoned. He felt lost. He felt alone. Knowing that Rin would never swim with him again, even if they were rivals… That he had lost to him. It made him feel… broken. He felt broken. More than he had ever felt before.

_This is something that even water can't fix. _Haruka slid down further, his nose now submerged. _I don't want to be remembered as ordinary… _His whole body was now underwater. He let the last bit of oxygen escape his lungs, and let the water take its place.

He choked against the feel of it forcing its way down his throat and into his lungs, but he didn't fight it. Soon he began to feel a pleasant numbness spread throughout his body. He felt like he was floating. It was lovely. As the water slowly washed away his consciousness, he had one last, fleeting thought.

_Rin… Why?_


	2. Save Me

Chapter two, yeah! I had to continue this. There might even be a chapter three if you guys want it! Let me know if you do!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. You really drove me to write and finish this super fast. 3

P.S. I didn't mean for this to into HaruRin, but it's starting to. I'M SORRY (NO I'M NOT).

* * *

Rin stood outside Haruka's front door, his hand hovering in front of the doorbell. "Come on, Rin. You fucked up. You have to apologize." He muttered to himself. Yes, he was happy he won, but what he said was out of line. He gathered his courage, and pressed the button. He could hear the chime of the doorbell echo within Haru's home.

Nothing.

He rang it again. And again. And again. Once more for good measure. No answer.

"HARUKA!" Rin banged his fist on the front door. "Haruka, open up!" Rin tried to open the front door. It was unlocked. He threw the door open and rushed inside. The first thing he saw were Haruka's clothes scattered in the kitchen and down the hall. If he still knew Haruka, he would be near water.

"The bathroom… Haruka!" Rin ran down the hall and into the bathroom. What he saw was just too much for him. Haruka was a ghastly white, his mouth open and eyes shut, lying at the bottom of the tub. He choked on his breath. "H-Haruka!" Rin lifted the limp swimmer from the bath.

He was freezing. Not good.

Rin gently placed Haruka on the bathroom floor. He wasn't breathing. His heartbeat was weak. Rin's breathing turned to short, panicked gasps. This was cause of him. It had to be. He had pushed Haruka over the edge. Rin pressed his mouth to Haruka's, filling his lungs with oxygen. _He could still have a chance. I can save him! _

He forced Haruka's heart to pump one, two, three times. Again. Breathe, pump, again. Again. Again. Again.

Nothing.

Rin's eyes burned with tears. He wasn't giving up. He leaned down to press his mouth to Haruka's again, and felt something warm against his lips. Was he…? "Haru? Haru!"

Haruka's blue eyes shot open, and he began to cough and hack up mouthfuls of water. Rin helped him sit up, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Rin…" Haruka's voice was weak and raspy. "Why are you here? Why am _I _here?" His face was void of any expression.

"Haruka, I came to apologize. After our race, what I said…" Rin paused and took a deep breath. "It was uncalled for. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Haruka didn't reply. He just stared at the bath.

Rin got up, trusting that the other swimmer could sit up on his own, grabbed a towel from the shelf, and wrapped it around Haruka. He sighed. "C'mon, let's get you dressed. You're freezing. We don't need to add hypothermia to this."

Haruka silently obeyed, leaning on Rin's shoulder for support as they made their way to his bedroom. Rin led Haruka to his bed and he sat down. Haruka watched Rin rummage through his drawers to find him some clothes. His mind was blank. He couldn't even remember where he kept his sweatpants. Rin turned to the silent Haruka, a pair of grey sweats and a dark green sweatshirt in his hand.

"Can you dress yourself?" Rin asked worriedly. Haruka simply nodded in response.

Rin turned his back to him to give his friend some privacy. Were they friends? He wasn't sure. He had hurt him pretty bad earlier today and in the past when they were kids. He liked to think they still managed to hang on to a bit of their friendship.

"Rin…" Haru pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands. It was comforting.

"Yeah, Haru?" Rin turned back around to face Haru, who had thankfully stopped shivering.

"Why would you save me? Weren't you just going to throw me away, push me aside… now that you finally beat me?"

Rin sighed deeply. "Haru, why would I do that? I was never using you. It was just such a relief to feel like I could move on from that large obstacle in my life. Beating you felt euphoric, cause I felt like I could finally make progress and get somewhere in my life. When I said I didn't want to swim with you anymore, ever again, I just…" Rin raked a hand through his hair, feeling unbearably guilty. He sat next to Haruka on the bed, expecting him to push him away, or at least move. He didn't.

"I was caught up in the moment. I was being a total dick. I can't apologize enough. And to know that I hurt you enough to make you feel like you had to…" Rin choked on his words, a sob making its way up his throat. He gripped Haruka's blue comforter in both hands and stared at his knees. He closed his eyes tight against more tears. He didn't care if Haruka saw him cry. He wanted him to know how hurt he was, too.

Haruka did see how much Rin was hurting. How could he not? He realized that maybe Rin was in even more pain than he was. Haruka placed his hand over Rin's hesitantly, and squeezed it gently. "The thought of getting to swim with you again was what kept me going all these years. When I thought that was taken from me, too… I broke. I felt like the last thing I cared about was taken from me. I couldn't bear it."

Rin wiped his eyes and glanced over at Haruka. There was the smallest smile on his face.

"Now that you're here, Rin, and you saved my life..." Haruka trailed off and looked down at he and Rin's hands. "I'm not sure how I feel. I want to live. I never wanted to die. I was just full of so much agony. I was drowning in it." Rin let go of the comforter and turned his hand over to lace his fingers with Haru's. He understood exactly how he felt.

"But you pulled me up. I was drowning, and you pulled me out of the water." Now Haruka was crying. The tears streamed freely down his face. He didn't bother to wipe them away. "I need you in my life, Rin." Haru let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Obviously."

Rin wasn't sure what to think. He didn't want to leave Haru tonight. Or ever. Rin fell apart without Haru, and Haru fell apart without him. They really did need each other. Rin looked down at his watch. Ten at night. It had been about an hour since he dragged Haru from the bath. The thought already made him shudder.

"Haru." Rin scooted closer to him on the bed. They were so close their thighs and shoulders were touching. Rin wrapped his arms around Haruka's toned shoulders and held him close. He moved one hand up to rest on the back of his neck.

"Um…" Rin felt his cheeks grow hot. "Would you like me to stay with you tonight? I can walk to school from here. And I can't imagine you would want to be alone after all this."

Haruka didn't respond.

"I-I mean, if not me, you should have someone with you. I can call Makoto to come ov-"

"No." The answer was muffled against Rin's chest. "So, you do want me to stay?"

No answer. Apparently silence meant "yes" tonight.

After a few minutes of the other swimmer silently resting against his body, Haruka spoke up. "Can we forget tonight happened? What I tried to do, I mean… Not you being here. I don't want to remember it." Haruka's thin but strong arms wrapped around Rin's waist.

"Please. I regret it. Let's just forget it about it." Rin wasn't sure that was the best thing to do. Weren't you supposed to talk about these things? But if it was what Haruka wanted…

"Alright. But promise me you will _never_ do anything like that again." Haruka hummed in response. "I promise." He held onto Rin tighter. "As long as you're here, I know I'll be okay."

Rin felt himself smile at his friends words. Yes, they were friends. Of course they were. It was silly of him to doubt it.

He felt Haruka relax even more against him, and Rin shifted to see his face better. He was asleep. Who could blame him, though? He had been through a lot for one day.

Rin slowly leaned over the bed, easing Haruka down against the pillows. His dark, silky hair fell onto his face, and Rin brushed it aside. He looked so peaceful.

_I'm only staying tonight because he needs me, that's all…_ Rin silently reassured himself as he carefully crawled onto the bed with Haruka, pulling him into his chest. The other boy shifted in his sleep, rolling over to face Rin, and buried his face in his warm chest. After almost losing Haruka, something had changed in Rin. Feelings had changed.

As Rin drifted off to sleep, a wave of certainty washed over him. With his arm draped over Haruka's waist, and his heart beating a bit too fast in his chest, one final thought pushed itself to the front of his mind.

_I'm in trouble, aren't I? Haruka… I think... I might..._

**_I think I love you._**

* * *

I forgot to mention, I have a very vivid idea for an alternate version of chapter two as well. It's just the bad version of this (AKA Haruka actually dies). Let me know if you want to see that, along with a chapter three! (Makoto would be in chapter 3 ^^)


	3. Save Me (Alt Ending)

Alright, here is the alternate version of chapter two. It's honestly not as heart wrenching as I wanted it to be, but I didn't want to make myself cry while writing it.

And can I just say that I appreciate everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. It means so much to me to know that you guys like this and want me to continue. Seriously. Thank you.

Warning: character death. *sobs in corner*

P.S. The little black separate-y bar things aren't showing up at the bottom, so everything looks jumbled. I'm sorry!

* * *

Rin was standing outside Haruka's front door. He was wracked with guilt, and was almost positive that Haruka wouldn't accept his apology. He knew he had to try. Rin slowly raised his hand and knocked, his head hung in shame.

No answer. He knocked again.

"He probably just fell asleep after this crazy ass, stressful day…" Rin rang the doorbell next. It was probably louder than his knocking.

Still no answer. He rang it again. Nothing.

The redhead was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. Haru wouldn't just ignore him like this, even if he was beyond angry and upset with him. He wasn't like that. What if something happened? Rin desperately tried to open the door.

Locked. "God fucking damnit…" He kicked aside the doormat, flipping it over in the process, praying that a key was hiding there. Of course there wasn't one. Rin's eyes spotted a flower pot, and he smashed it to the ground. Bingo.

He grabbed the key, shoved in the lock, and yanked the door open. Haruka's clothes littered the kitchen floor and down the hallway, leading to the bathroom. Of course. That's where the water was. In seconds, the dread clouding his mind was gone. "Alright, Haruka, get out of the tub." Rin called to the dark haired swimmer from the hallway and got no response. Haru didn't care about anything besides water when he was in it.

Rin stepped into the bathroom and looked to the tub. He jolted at the sight before him.

"HARUKA!" He closed the small distance between him and the tub, and lifted the unconscious Haruka from the bottom of the freezing bath. Lying Haruka down on the bath mat, Rin felt the panic begin to set in. "What do I do… What the fuck do I do?!"

Rin shook Haruka's cold, damp shoulders. "Haruka! HARUKA!" His heart was barely beating, and his breathing was short and shallow. Rin's red eyes widened in fear. What if he couldn't save him? Haruka was so cold. It was horrifying. He scanned the bathroom for something that would keep the unconscious swimmer warm. The best he could do without leaving the bathroom was a towel folded on the counter. He wrapped it around Haruka's shoulders, hoping it would restore some vital body heat.

"Come on, Rin…" He mentally smacked himself. CPR!

The panicked teen leaned over Haruka, pressing his mouth to his and forcing oxygen into his lungs. He pressed his palms over Haruka's heart and pressed down rhythmically one, two, three times. "You're going to live, god damnit…" Rin forced more oxygen into Haru's unresponsive lungs. "You're not dying here!"

The distressed redhead's voice caught in his throat. He pressed down on Haruka's chest once more.

Breathe, pump, repeat.

Breathe, pump, repeat.

Again. Again. Again. Again.

Nothing.

The cold swimmer's heartbeat was growing weaker as the seconds passed. He had stopped breathing. Rin wasn't sure when the tears began streaming down his face, blurring his vision and burning his eyes, but he didn't care. The clock on the bathroom wall ticked on, the hollow, monotonous sound echoing off the walls, mixing with Rin's gasping sobs as he desperately tried to revive his unconscious friend and rival.

Five more minutes passed, and Rin felt Haruka's heartbeat begin to fade… then stop.

Rin could not accept it.

He would not accept it. But…

He keeled over, sobbing into Haruka's frigid, unmoving chest. "I-I… I couldn't…" Rin took the swimmer's still body into his arms. The towel that had been draped around his shoulders fell to the floor. Rin cradled the boy gently in his lap, his arms wrapping around him. He began to rock him back and forth on the hard tile floor.

Rin's sobs turned into strangled screams of agony, muffled against Haruka's shoulder, water from his dark hair dripping onto Rin's tear soaked cheeks.

This was his fault. He had pushed Haruka over the edge. He caused him to do this. He was responsible for his death. The limp, lifeless body in his arms… Haruka would still be here if he had just kept his mouth shut.

Rin held Haruka's body tighter and kept rocking, whispered apologies flowing endlessly from his mouth.

The clock on the bathroom wall ticked on monotonously, echoing of the walls, as the seconds, minutes, hours, ticked away.

* * *

"Haru-chan! If you're in the tub again, I swear… I know you will be, anyway." Makoto rolled his eyes as he hopped up the stairs to Haruka's place.

"Haru-" Makoto stopped at the top of the steps, examining the shattered flower pot, the upside down and askew welcome mat, and the front door, which was wide open. "What the…"

Makoto rushed into his friend's home, tripping on clothes that were lying in the middle of the floor. He headed for the bathroom. The sight before him stopped him in the doorway, tears immediately welling up in his bright green eyes. He covered his mouth with his hand and resisted the urge to scream.

Rin was holding Haruka in his arms like a young child on the bathroom floor, rocking back and forth slowly, but Haruka… He was a ghastly white, pale as a ghost. His lips were blue, as were his fingertips and toes. Worst of all, he didn't appear to be breathing.

"R-Rin…" Makoto somehow managed to stammer out. "What… I don't… He's…" He shook his head in disbelief, already beginning to sob. "Don't tell me he's..."

Rin just nodded.

"He's gone."

Let me know if this was sad enough for you. ;;_;;

Chapter three will be up by Wednesday! Makoto will be making a less depressing appearance. I love that man.

Until then, guys! And thank you again for your never ending support!


	4. The Start of Something New

Guys! All the love this story is getting, the follows, the favorites, the reviews... You're going to make my heart explode with joy! Seriously! You're all amazing. Thank you so much.

Alright, on to chapter three! (though it's technically the fourth chapter, but whatever)

One more thing, I call Rin a redhead because I consider him one. His hair is a shade of red. I know some people don't really think of it as red, and instead as more of a purple, so... I don't know where I'm going with this. Just ignore me and read.

* * *

The next morning was beautiful, warm, and sunny. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was like the world was trying to forget the events of the previous night. Makoto was hopping up the steps to Haruka's house, two at a time, his heavy school bag weighing down on his shoulder. He didn't even bother knocking. He knew that Haruka left the door unlocked for him every morning. The cheerful teen stepped into his friend's house, taking note of the clothes littering the floor.

_He probably stripped down and headed straight for the tub last night. He was pretty upset. _Makoto sighed and headed toward the bathroom. He opened the door and poked his head in. "Haru-chan, are you o-" He stopped short when he realized the tub was empty. That was a first. "He's still sleeping?" Makoto muttered to himself. This was odd behavior for Haruka. In all the years he had known his friend, he had never slept through his morning soak.

That being said, Makoto was a bit anxious as he made his way down the hall to Haru's room. The bedroom door was cracked open. He gently nudged it open wider with his foot, smiling a bit at the two teens he saw sleeping in Haru's bed.

Haruka was splayed across Rin's chest, drool rolling down his cheek and onto Rin's shirt. Rin's mouth was opened slightly, low, quiet snores occasionally leaking out. His arms were wound around Haruka's waist. They looked… so cute together. Makoto always knew his best friend had been fond of the redhead. The way Haruka's eyes would become fixed and focused on Rin during joint practices at Samezuka. The way he looked at that photo of Rin for a bit too long on the rooftop the other day, and especially the way his heart was shattered after he lost to Rin at the meet last night. But his affection toward him had started long before all that.

Wait. Why was Rin even at Haru's house after what he had said? Makoto just assumed they had kissed and made up if they were sharing a bed like that. The brunet walked over to the bed, placed a hand on Haruka's shoulder, and gently shook him awake. "Haru… Come on, we're going to be late again." He was careful and kept his voice down, not wanting to wake Rin.

The swimmer's blue eyes opened slowly, and Makoto gave him his friendliest smile. "Good morning, Haru-chan." Makoto nodded toward Rin, questioning Haru with his eyes.

"It's, um…" He rubbed his eyes, mumbling out a response. "Hold on."

Haruka poked Rin's cheek. "Rin, hey." The redhead groaned in annoyance, his arms tightening around Haruka's thin waist. He grimaced slightly and flicked Rin in the forehead. "Rin, wake up." The redhead flinched and cracked his eyes open, muttering under his breath. "Brat…"

Makoto stifled a chuckle, and Rin glanced up at him, his vision still blurry from sleep. "Eh? Makoto? Why are you here? What time is it?"

"It's time to get up and get to school." Makoto replied cheerfully, smiling at both boys.

Rin and Haruka exchanged a frightened look. Makoto had to know what happened last night.

"Haru… want me to tell him?"

He nodded. "If that's okay."

"Tell me what?" Makoto's smiling face immediately changed to one of worry. Rin removed his arms from Haruka's waist, and Haru rolled off of his chest so he could sit up.

"Can we talk outside for a minute, Makoto?" Rin's voice and expression were serious, but pained.

"Of course, yeah." Makoto looked at Haru from the bedroom doorway, taking note of how worried he looked. "We'll be right back, Haru."

"Okay."

"Makoto…" Rin looked him straight in the eye, guilty red meeting anxious green. "Last night, I came here to apologize to Haruka, and I… I found him in the bath, unconscious. He tried to take his life last night." Makoto's eyes widened in shock.

"What? Is he okay? Why would…" Then it hit him. "It was cause of you, wasn't it? You bastard!" He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He had never felt this furious before. "He's always had feelings for you, and you had to go and say those things to him!"

"Makoto, woah!" Rin stepped away from the brunet, his hands up in the universal sign of 'I surrender.' He was terrifying when he was mad. "I apologized! I saved his life last night! I regret what I said. If I could go back and stop myself from saying those things, I would! I'm not a heartless bastard."

"You're sure about that? Cause I'm not." Makoto growled at the redhead, glaring at him. Rin took another step back, pleading for forgiveness. "Makoto, you know I care about him. You know I always have, regardless of the stupid things I've said and done. So please, please, forgive me. Haruka has. Why can't you?"

Makoto looked into Rin's eyes, and could see how hurt and truly sorry he was. He felt his anger begin to subside. Rin really was sorry. "He almost died because of you, Rin." Makoto scowled at him, his outrage slowly dissipating.

Rin watched Makoto's eyes soften, and he knew the worst was over. His tensed shoulders relaxed, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"There are no words strong enough to express how sorry I am. I care about that idiot so much." Rin felt the hot tears begin to well up in his eyes. "If anything had happened to him… If I hadn't been here in time…" He bit back his sobs, silently willing himself to stop.

Makoto hadn't realized how much Haruka meant to the rash swimmer in front of him.

"Rin."

His tear stained face turned toward Makoto. The brunet gave him a knowing smile.

"You love him, don't you?"

The redhead stared at him for a moment, then began to cry even harder. "Yes… Yes! I love that idiot! I don't know when it happened, but it did!"

Makoto placed a hand on Rin's shaking shoulder. "He needs you, Rin. I think we both know that." He shook his head. "Why you, though, I'm not too sure."

Rin threw an offended look at Makoto. He gradually began to compose himself, his sporadic breaths evening out and the tears flowing slower than before.

"I think you two should stay home. I'm sure he doesn't want to go to school today after last night." Makoto's bright eyes glanced at Haruka's front door. "Stay with him today."

"Okay. You can count on me."

"I guess we'll see, no? Oh, and Rin?"

Said boy did not get a chance to respond, as his shirt collar was grabbed and he was suddenly nose to nose with the tall swimmer in front of him, his back up against the side of the house. Makoto's eyes were an intense shade of green, a terribly intimidating shine to them.

"If you _ever _hurt Haruka again… I swear to God, you will never swim again."

Rin gulped. "Understood."

"Good." Makoto released him, and Rin slumped against the wall. Their eyes met once more before heading back inside to Haru.

Makoto went straight to Haru's room and pulled him into a tight hug. Rin stayed in the hallway. He needed a few more minutes to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry, Mako…" Haruka's response was muffled against his friend's broad shoulders.

"It's okay, Haru. Everything can only get better from here, and I know it will. You have Rin now, and I'll always be here, too." Haruka smiled a bit at Makoto's words. He was beyond lucky to have a friend like him.

"I love him, Mako."

The brunet nodded. "I know, Haru, I know. I think you should tell Rin how you feel. You might be pleasantly surprised by what he has to say."

Haruka pulled away from his friend's embrace. His smile was even wider. "You mean he…?"

"Yes, Haru. I think for a while now." Makoto could not believe how happy Haru looked. He didn't even look this happy around water. He heard footsteps behind them, and he knew Rin was in the room. Well, that and he saw Haru's eyes light up like a Christmas tree.

Makoto watched his friend launch from the bed and straight into Rin's chest, burying his face in Rin's shoulder. He smiled at the sight.

Rin's reaction was priceless. It was an odd mix of confusion and embarrassment, and his hands were hovering in the air around Haruka's body. He wasn't too sure where to put them.

"I love you, Rin." The redhead stared down at Haru, a bit dumbfounded.

"H-Haru, are you feeling okay? Maybe you should lie down again."

"No, Rin." Haruka looked up at him, his eyes shining bright as the ocean. Rin's hands ceased their anxious hovering and came to rest on Haru's waist. "Haru… You know that I, well…"

Despite the bright blush staining his cheeks, Rin broke into a wide grin. "I love you, too. I have for a long time now, but I never realized it until last night when I almost lost you. I don't know what I would do without you. I try to think about it, and I just get really upset because I don't want to imagine it, and I want to apologize for all the hurtful things I've done and I want you to know that I take it all back and-"

"Shut up."

Rin felt himself being pulled down by his shoulders, and just like that, his lips met Haru's in a tender kiss.

"You talk too much. You always have." Haruka murmured.

Rin hummed in response and pressed his lips to his beloved swimmers again.

Makoto watched their relationship unfold in front of him from his place on Haru's bed. He was still kind of ticked off at Rin, but it was wonderful to see Haruka so happy.

As Makoto said goodbye and left Haru with Rin and headed to school, he knew that this was what was best for his friend.

He knew that Rin wouldn't hurt him again.

* * *

I love angry Makoto. So much.

Let me know if you want more of this! I'd be happy to oblige. Future chapters would probably include RinHaru fluff (cause it's super cute), and not too much plot, honestly. It would mostly be their relationship developing and being all cute and how everyone else reacts to it, with some occasional angst thrown in, of course.

Thanks again for reading, reviewing, and favoriting/following. You're all so wonderful, and you're what keeps this story going!

_Also, when I named this chapter, I started sing High School Musical- I mean, what?_


	5. First Date?

It's funny how this started out so angsty and now will only consist of fluff. Anyway, I'm sorry this took so long! College happened. OTL I tried to make this longer than I usually do to make up for the late update. Forgive me!

* * *

"Alright, Haru." After shooting a quick text to Nitori telling him that he was "sick" and Gou insisted he stayed with her for the day, and possibly night, Rin turned to Haru with bright eyes. Makoto had just left for school, and they were left staring at the front door in the kitchen. "We've got the day off! What do you want to do?"

"Um…" Haru trailed off, a slightly awkward silence filling the kitchen. His stomach decided to break the silence, and Rin chuckled at its loud rumbles. "I guess breakfast would be a good place to start. Got anything good?" He shot a questioning glance at Haru before searching through the cupboards and fridge.

"Haru… You don't have much food. Seriously, what do you eat?" Haruka shifted his weight from one foot to the other, embarrassed by the observation. "I only eat breakfast when I'm home. Makoto brings me lunch and we usually grab food after practice every day."

Haru didn't miss Rin's raised eyebrow and annoyed look, and quickly corrected himself. "The whole team, not just me and Makoto. And he always brings me lunch. It's just habit." Rin's countenance didn't change.

Haru furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that."

He watched Rin lean against the fridge, cross him arms over his chest, and deliberately avoid looking at him.

"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous of Mako."

He puffed out his cheeks, glanced at Haru, and said nothing. Haru couldn't help the broad smile that lit up his face. "You are, aren't you?" He crossed the kitchen to stand in front of Rin, placing his hands on muscular shoulders.

"Didn't we just establish this? You're the one I like, not Makoto. Well, I love him, too, but just as a best friend." Red eyes snuck back to lock with blue. "So don't be a moron."

Rin cracked a smile. "Hey, I'm not- pffft!" His sudden laughter echoed throughout the kitchen. Was Haru… tickling him?

"H-Haru, stop!" Rin crumpled to his knees on the tile floor, laughing hysterically while silently cursing the other swimmer's acute memory. How did Haru remember all of his weak spots from when they were kids? Not cool. Rin could barely hear him over his ridiculous laughter.

"I'll stop if you promise to stop being a jealous idiot." Rin was keeled over on the floor, clutching his stomach as Haru expertly attacked his neck with precise fingers. "Fine! I-I promise! Just stop!"

Just like that, the torturous tickling stopped as quickly as it started. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, breathing heavily. "Damnit, Haru…" He laughed as he leaned back to lie on the cold floor. Haru joined him, a triumphant, little smile on his face. "Now I know you're as ticklish as you used to be."

"Yeah, whatever." Rin smiled carelessly and stared up at the ceiling fan. It was strangely hypnotizing.

Haru's voice broke the comfortable silence. "Are we together now?"

"Huh?" Rin looked away from the fan to Haru and raised a thin eyebrow. His eyes were shimmering with excitement.

"Are we together? Like, boyfriends?"

"Oh. Yeah." He didn't think he had to say it. Jumping to his feet, he reached a hand down to his rival turned boyfriend. "If you want to be. I do." He flashed a dazzling smile. Even if his teeth were mysteriously sharp, they were strangely beautiful.

"Come on, _darling. _Let's go on our first official date." Haruka felt his face flush as he took the extended hand and was hauled to his feet.

"You have no food, so let's go get some. I know a great café downtown." Rin didn't let Haru's hand go and held it tight, stroking pale fingers with his thumb. "You don't seem like the café type." Haru said, glancing down at their intertwined fingers.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Rin winked at Haru and watched his cheeks turn pink. _How cute…_ He leaned in and gave Haru's lips a quick peck. It was going to be a great day.

Everyone in the café knew Rin. The baristas, the waitresses, even some of the customers seated with their laptops in front of them. Haruka thought it was rather odd. They all smiled when he came in, the bell in the entrance jingling and announcing his arrival. He smiled and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Rin. The usual?" A young barista asked from behind the counter.

Rin smiled in response, making his way to the counter. "Yeah, sure. What about you, Haru?" He was staring blankly at the walls behind the counter, the menu written out in colorful chalk. "I don't drink coffee much… Just get me whatever."

"Okay." Rin remained quiet for a moment in thought. "I know you like chocolate. How about a peppermint mocha with extra whipped cream?"

Haru looked delighted at the suggestion. No one really knew that he had a soft spot for sweets. He grinned at the look on Haru's face. The girl behind the counter made their drinks in no time and handed them to Rin, who also balanced a plate of muffins on his arm. "You know, you could be the world's hottest waiter if you wanted to be." Haru smiled, sitting down at a quiet table in the corner of the café.

Rin snorted, handing the swimmer his drink and sliding the plate onto the table. "Of course I could."

Haru held his drink up to his nose and inhaled the wonderful smell of it. He really had to start drinking more coffee. He blew into his cup before taking a sip. It was sweet yet bitter, and deliciously minty.

"So, Rin…" Said boy looked at him over his cup.

"How does everyone know you? And you have a usual here. How often do you come here? You didn't even have to pay for this stuff." Rin leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, throwing an arm over the back of his chair.

"I sometimes come here after practice during the week. It's never crazy busy, so everyone has just gotten to know me. I can be personable, you know." He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, wincing a bit as the hot liquid burned his tongue. "The free stuff is part of my compensation for Saturday's."

Haru picked off a piece of the blueberry muffin in front of him. "And Saturday's are?"

Rin chuckled quietly and set his cup on the table. "They're basically my work days. I come here and perform for a few hours, and in return I get free drinks and some cash."

Haru tilted his head and questioned Rin with his eyes. "I just play some guitar and sing a bit. Nothing much." Haru immediately straightened up in his seat and almost dropped his cup. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I picked up guitar in Australia. I needed an outlet other than swimming. Why are you surprised?"

"I'm not. I just find music beautiful. Like water, it can tell you so much, and you can learn so much from it. Music is amazing." His eyes were sparkling like sapphires, and he was staring at Rin with such fervor that it was almost unsettling. "Will you play for me?"

"That depends." Rin uncrossed his legs and leaned over the table closer to Haru. "What would I get in return?"

He got a blank stare in response. "What do you mean? I could make you dinner or something, I guess. Would that work?"

An eyebrow twitched in frustration. He forgot how oblivious Haru could be. It wasn't his fault, though. He didn't exactly have relationship experience. Not that Rin really did, either. "Never mind, it's alright. I'd love to play for you." He kissed Haru's nose and beamed when he scrunched his face in embarrassment.

The boys finished their drinks and muffins in comfortable silence, exchanging loving glances and warm smiles and the occasional laugh always caused my Haru. At one point, Haru got whipped cream on him nose. Rin laughed at how precious and ridiculous he looked, for which he received a hunk of muffin to the face.

They walked back to Haru's place hand in hand, and Haru could not remember the last time he felt this happy. Sure, his goofy friends made him smile from time to time, but not the way Rin could. Rin didn't even have to try. He hoped that Rin felt the same way.

Noticing the dark clouds beginning to cover the previously blue sky, the two picked up their pace, not wanting to get caught in the rain. Despite their effort, the clouds opened up and the rain began to pour, beating off their shoulders as they reached the bottom of the steps to Haru's modest home. Haru released Rin's hand and stopped at the first step, tilting his head to the sky, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of the cool droplets against his skin.

Rin turned, smiling at the sight of the swimmer relishing the feel of the water surrounding him. He would never understand his odd obsession with water, but he had to admit, it was darling.

Closing the small gap between them, Rin swept the wet fringe from Haru's closed eyes, and watched them open slowly. He brushed his thumb down the bridge of his nose and across a pale cheek. Haru reached up and tentatively placed a hand over the tanned one cupping his cheek.

Mirrored grins slowly spread across both boys lips as they simultaneously leaned in, meeting a bit too hurriedly in a passionate kiss. Pale fingers made their way up to red, dripping locks. Tanned hands gripped a slender waist, traveling down to modest yet prominent hips.

Unaware of the tears streaming down his face and coupling with the rain drops caressing his skin, Haruka tightened his grip on Rin, smiling into their kiss, feeling safer and happier than he ever had before.

* * *

I really needed some cuteness after the last couple episodes. I hope you liked it! This story doesn't have a set length. I'm just going to update it every week or so with something cutesy like this. I have so many ideas.

I apologize for any errors in this. It's 1AM, and I'm pretty tired.

If you have an idea or anything you want to see Rin and Haru do, let me know in a review and I'll check it out. I'll most likely love it and do my best to bring it to life. ^^

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favorited/followed this. It really means a lot and keeps me smiling!


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